Woman felled by old foe, kitty poo

Sorry you are feeling so crummy after the "clean-up." Makes me glad I don't have a cat.

And yes, there are things I just have to stay away from doing. My husband scrubs the kitchen and bathroom floors and vacuums the carpets. I can go into a 3 day flare by just thinking about doing these things. Sometimes, what most folks would think of as a little thing, is a very big thing for us. It's hard to know when a flare will happen, and we can't always predict what activities will cause one. We just need to live our lives as best we can.

Oh Achey....yes...I am that restricted as well and it sucks...there's just no other way to describe it. It's always the stupidest stuff that sets off a flare for me. I'm quite short so sometimes, putting dishes away can be a bit challenging. I was putting away a few things yesterday including a wine glass that goes on the top shelf. If I stand on tippy toes, I can j u u u u u s t reach the top shelf. I reached up to put the glass in there, and could feel an almost "ripping" sensation in my pelvic and hip areas.....AAARRRGGGHHHHH!

I KNOW I can't reach that high without pain...I know it every time I go to put something away that is over my head (which mean practically every single cupboard). And what do I do? I try to do it anyways. I mean, seriously....why would I think I'm growing taller at age 48 when it's never happened before???

I hope you haven't done anything "permanent" to yourself Achey...and I hope you're smarter than I am, and don't make the same mistake twice. More than anything, I really sympathize for you....for I think I understand your frustration with all of this. Remember, you've got a friend!

hugs,
Pam

ps: we have one cat - Dorie - that has lived with us since she was 7 weeks old. We've toilet trained her, to avoid the whole litter box issue. She doesn't flush (we do that for her) but she goes in there, jumps up on the toilet and does her business, and it's made life so much easier without having to deal with a litter box. If your cat isn't too old, you might want to look into it Google it for more information and "how to" stuff.

Achey - ouch! That really sucks. Do you have a lot of cats? You said you carry the cat poo upstairs - can you put the litter box upstairs so you do not have to carry it up there?

That is so cool about the cat using the toilet! I saw that on a movie once, but thought it was a big joke. That is way cool.

Achey, sometimes I am restricted, and sometimes not as much. I have no idea why - but my pain doc said that we have flare ups for two reasons: 1. we did something dumb and 2. we did not do anything dumb.

Hope you feel better soon.
Sue

Achey, hope you are feeling better! Cleaning litter boxes is not my fav job either,
so I gave that job to hubby. I do know what you mean about what used to be routine
tasks throwing a body into a tizzy. Fibro can keep you guessing, that is for sure:)
Feel better my friend!

Hugs, Robin

Thanks for the great answers, everybody!  Once again, you've all made me feel better. 

Denise, I think you're right about going up steps.  It's very strange, isn't it??  Sometimes even carrying a set of sheets upstairs will set me off.  Holding weight close to the middle of my body and then dropping it usually works for me, too.  Pam, I'm definitely NOT smarter than you, I've done this SO many times (definition of insanity - doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result!)  What does that say about us??  I can't put dishes away on the high shelves, either; at least, not without paying for it.  Sue, what your pain doc said is a hoot!  And so true!!  Our cat situation is complicated - we have 1 who lives up with us and 2 who live "down below" due to behavior problems/dog conflicts.  My husband wouldn't even have them if it was up to him, Robin, so it's just me cleaning up after them.  I have to just remember to keep the bag weight under that of a leaf.

Achey 

 

Achey, we finally had to give up having cats because of this problem.  We had to restrict them to the basement because of behavior problems, and it became too difficult for me to navigate the basement steps on certain days to change the boxes.  The rest of the family wanted to keep them, but wanted no part in maintaining the boxes, so I decided that they must go.  Have you ever used the clumpable type of litter where you just scoop out the poo and the clumps, and you supposedly don't have to change the litter as often?  We tried it, but it seemed as if the litter would get wet and have to be changed after just a couple of days.  Our basement is extremely damp, though, and this probably contributed to the problem. I just thought that  it would be much easier for you if you didn't have to trek up and down the steps a couple of times a day. 

Ms Bunky, I know what you mean about having to reach upward!  It is my worst enemy.  It seems as if everything in kitchens is geared toward people who are at least 5'7".  I'm constantly yelling for my family members to come in to get items from higher shelves in the cabinets.  However, they are not always available.  I don't like to wait until someone gets home to help put dishes away on the higher shelves, and I always end up paying for it later.  I have decided that I am going to rearrange my kitchen cabinets, and put items that I use frequently in the lower cabinets, and those that are rarely used in the higher ones.  However, I haven't gotten around to it yet.